Article 3 - Sandown Schools Consolidation Project

[Resident]

I am starting to agree with Rob, wow. I understand at one of the meetings either with district or in Sandown they bantered about giving it to Sandown for a $1.00, which is nice but not in these economic times.

I am leary though that the extra staff positions would just be absorbed into the district resulting in no savings for salaries and benefits.

Rob is right on this one. I do agree that we can have cost saving. As I told Mr. LaSalle at the Deliberative Session he will one opportunity to show the public that he is not Dr. McDonald Part II. The district has long memories of his tenure, his attitude, and his results. I do believe that Mr. LaSalle know these aspects. If he screws this up he knows that he is done with the District for support.

I disagree. I'm NOT convinced there will be a savings. I don't believe my tax bill will go down but will skyrocket up again. In my opinion, projected cost for addition is too low and amount of savings too high. I'm not going by memories of Dr McDonald and his previous construction projects. My opinion is based on more recent activities i.e. autism room at the Middle School and 2 science rooms at the High School. Both projects from beginning to end were during Mr LaSalle's administration. Cost overruns at the Middle School were paid with the High School curriculum money. I heard problems exist with the design of the 2 science classrooms.

Financially most people can't afford this project at this time. Salary freezes, salary reduction, foreclosures, and more unemployment. The only people that I've heard getting salary increases in this area is school personnel and town employees. I can't afford the "savings" at this time.

[shawn_oneil]

Resident,
No one is stating that you tax bill will go down. It can go up from a variety of factors. What the school district is trying to propose is for an element that comprises the budget will go down. It is zeroing in on the Sandown elementary aspect of the budget. Do you see the cost/pupil in Sandown vs other district members?
Can you elaborate as to what you 'heard" with respect to the two science classrooms? How much were these cost overruns? Construction was done by internal employees vs an external contract.
Thank you,
Shawn

[safety frog]

I will check over the weekend, but if I remember correctly the currliculum coordinator gave up $30- $40 K out of his budget for books, to cover extra costs for the two classrooms done within the budget at one of the school board meetings. Have to confirm. It is fun watching my high schooler this year do homework and research for many copies of books as they did not have the text books.

[Resident]

Eagle Tribune article.
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/lo ... 23524.html

Do you see the cost/pupil in Sandown vs other district members?

Going by memory since I don't have the desire to research the exact amt (I'm sure Mr Collins will supply the exact cost difference), the per pupil cost for students in Sandown is $1000+ more than the other 3 towns. With the maintenance of an extra bldg and salaries of 2x of school personnel in Sandown, I wonder why the cost difference is so low. I had expected to see at least $3000 difference. The numbers just don't add up.

Can you elaborate as to what you 'heard" with respect to the two science classrooms? How much were these cost overruns?

No cost overruns at the HS afaik. I heard that there was functionality issues with the new science rooms. I was concerned when discussion of building a new hs after the district just spent $350k for 2 state of the art science rooms. I know that idea is on hold and concentration will be constructing a new middle school. Who truly knows what the cost overruns are for the autism room at the MS. Money was found from other allocated sources at the MS but it was still short. HS curriculum money was transferred to cover the costs. From memory, cost overrun was approx $30k. Most of the information I gather is from watching SB meetings faithfully. Reading SB minutes only is just not enough to know what is going on.

Construction was done by internal employees vs an external contract.

Wrong. Harvey Construction of Bedford handled the work at both schools.

[dmh]

Currently there are 33 staff members listed for Sandown Central or 4.1 staff per classroom for eight classes (4 - 4th grade & 4 - 5th grade). Where are 33 staff members going to fit in the eight (8) new classrooms?

Will they keep:

1 Prinipal
1 Admin assistance
1 Food Services
1 Nurse
1 Guidance
1 Pychologist
4 4th grade teachers
4 5th grade teachers
1 Art teacher
1 Computer teacher
1 Enrichment teacher
1 Librarian
3 Band teachers
1 PE teacher
1 Reading teacher
2 Special ed
1 ED teacher
1 Languages teacher
1 Occupational therapist (4th and 5th graders are working?)
1 Physical Therapist
1 Speech Therapist
2 Technol. Specialists

If half of these were consolidated and we saved on half the salaries, the project starts to make some sense?

Safety Frog,
are you thinking that the only staff which would "transfer" from Central to North would be the 8 classroom teachers? Looking at this list I'm not certain they will get rid of any one. Many of these jobs are based on case load or pupils. They will not need two principals, but worse case is that person will transfer to the SAU for an admin job.

[shawn_oneil]

They will not need two principals, but worse case is that person will transfer to the SAU for an admin job.

This would not be in Mr. LaSalle's best interest. If this were to happen, then I think any type of future projects would get zero support. He has cut admin jobs. He is not adding them.

[dmh]

They will not need two principals, but worse case is that person will transfer to the SAU for an admin job.

This would not be in Mr. LaSalle's best interest. If this were to happen, then I think any type of future projects would get zero support. He has cut admin jobs. He is not adding them.

It would not be in his best interest, but it has been done before by the district.

Atkinson needed 4 K teachers If you look at the costing, they only needed to hire 2 because they had 2 teachers who were not needed to teach the following year due to drop in class size. There was never mention that if K did not pass that salaries would be reduced by these two teachers.

Which Admin jobs has he cut?

[shawn_oneil]

Which Admin jobs has he cut?

Last year an Elementary Special Education Administrator was cut, and a Middle School Administrator position open. That position was cut in this year’s budget.
Summary:
1. Cut one administrator each of the last two years.
2. Cut 3 teachers and 7.5 Paras for the coming year.

Mr. La Salle is not Dr. McDonald. I don't ever recall Dr. McDonald cutting anything.
Shawn

[dmh]

Which Admin jobs has he cut?

Last year an Elementary Special Education Administrator was cut, and a Middle School Administrator position open. That position was cut in this year’s budget.
Summary:
1. Cut one administrator each of the last two years.
2. Cut 3 teachers and 7.5 Paras for the coming year.

Mr. La Salle is not Dr. McDonald. I don't ever recall Dr. McDonald cutting anything.
Shawn

Was the MS position one of the cirriculumn coordintators. They only have 2 now I believe, when my kids were there there were 3. There seems to be some consolidation of function at the high school also with people being assigned to functional areas rather than a grade or single subject.

The 3 teachers being cut is that net teachers? How likely are they going to have to add one at the last minute. When one child was in first grade they added a teacher the friday before school started because another child entered the district.

What kind of para-professionals? the ones that I think of are the special ed professionals, since that is need based are we loosing that many kids? I remember this years senior class used to have a high rate of kids who had para-professionals assigned to them, but don't know the current status.

How much did/will the salary budget go down this year pending loss of personell.

[Rob C - Moderator]

Danville Results
Yes - 97
No - 412

[dmh]

This failed in every town didn't it.

[SBinRockrimmon]

This failed in every town didn't it.

You are correct.